When Bill Harrison goes for a stroll on the paths of the Suwanee greenway, he's not just getting some exercise. He's also keeping a sharp eye out for any trash, broken concrete or any other problems that need attention.
Harrison is a Suwanee Park Ambassador, one of a cadre of volunteers who keep a close watch on one of the city's most popular amenities. The program started a little more than a year ago with an invitation to residents who use the greenway regularly to do double duty as park patrollers.
"We told people, 'You're out there, enjoying the greenway, so come on board and help the city out,' " said Elias Casanas, the city's community policing officer. "If you see something that needs to be corrected, let us know. For instance, we had a rubber tire stuck in a creek, so there was this beautiful water with an ugly tire in it. An ambassador reported it, and we got in touch with the public works department to pull it out."
Ambassadors go through an hour of training and are awarded distinctive yellow shirts to wear while on the trails. They're given a map marking the 16 path entrances and taught how to log onto a city site where they can report any problems.
"I'm a walker and runner, so I thought I could do this at the same time," said Harrison, a semi-retired insurance agent. "I wear a shirt that says 'Suwanee Park Ambassador' across the back, all when I get home, I go on the Website to record where I was on the greenway. Once I did call up and tell them a water fountain wasn't working. Not a whole lot really goes on."
The greenway is such a restful oasis in the city that it hasn't had any security issues, said Casanas.
"We've never had any issues with criminal activity or anyone getting hurt," he said. "What we're looking for is the stuff that needs to be taken care of, like if the bathrooms need to be cleaned. And if they do see any suspicious activity, we just ask them to be good witnesses."
Many of the ambassadors are graduates of the city's Citizen Police Academy, but attending the Academy is not a requirement.
"We try to make it as easy as possible," said Casanas. "There's no schedule, and all we ask is that people wear their t-shirts and carry an ID card when they're out there. We've set up an online calendar, and almost daily, someone will put down that they've been there and give us some feedback."
Kathy and Bob Heidish have lived in a Suwanee neighborhood with two greenway entrances for more than a year and make a point to walk or bike on it at least once every day. They volunteered to be ambassadors a few months ago.
"When we come in, my husband logs on and gives a recap of where we entered and exited and what we saw," said Kathy Heidish. "We do pick up trash, though really, there's not even that much, considering how many people use the trail. The city does a marvelous job of keeping it clean and mowing regularly."
Casanas has conducted four ambassador training sessions and expects to offer at least two a year. So far, he's been pleased with the turnout.
"Our first class was packed with about 30 people, which really surprised me," he said. "Since then, we've had another 28 sign up. They're really our park champions; without them, things wouldn't go so well."
To learn more about the program or to volunteer, contact Casanas at 770-945-8995 or by e-mail to elias@suwanee.com.
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